The Nissan Leaf is the best-selling electric car model in Norway thus far in 2012 outselling the 2011 favorite Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
Norway’s favorite electric car in 2012 is the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf easily outsold the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which was the best-selling electric passenger vehicle in Norway in 2011. The Mitsubishi was followed by the technologically similar Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn. Norwegians bought 33 Tesla Roadsters thus far in 2012.
Best-Selling Electric Cars in Norway in 2012 (Q3)
The best-selling electric cars in Norway during the first nine months of 2012 were according to Norsk Elbiforening / OFV :
| Make | 2012 (Jan to Sep) | % Share | 2011 (Full Year) | % Share | |
| 1 | Nissan Leaf | 1,764 | 56 | 381 | 17 |
| 2 | Mitsubishi i-MiEV | 546 | 17 | 1,050 | 47 |
| 3 | Citroen C-Zero | 451 | 14 | 210 | 9 |
| 4 | Peugeot iOn | 275 | 9 | 217 | 10 |
| 5 | Tesla Roadster | 33 | 1 | 34 | 2 |
| 6 | Think City | 21 | 1 | 133 | 6 |
| 7 | Buddy | 15 | 0 | 125 | 6 |
| 8 | Ford Connect Electr | 12 | 0 | 41 | 2 |
| 9 | Mia | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Tazzari | 9 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| 11 | Others | 26 | 1 | 17 | 1 |
| Total Electric Sales | 3,162 | 100 | 2,242 | 100 |
Top-Selling Electric Cars in Norway in 2012 (Q3)
The Nissan Leaf will quite likely sell as many cars in Norway in 2012 as the total electric car vehicle market in 2011.
During the first nine months of 2012, the electric Nissan Leaf has moved up to the sixteenth most popular car model on the Norwegian car market. In parts of Norway, such as Asker and Bærum, the Nissan Leaf was the most popular car model in September and even outsold the VW Golf.
The technologically similar cars of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Citroen C-Zero, and Peugeot iON, which have been struggling in many European markets in 2012, are still selling well in Norway. It has been suggested that these cars are being discounted in Norway due to overstocking and lack of demand in other European markets.
Given its high price, the Tesla Roadster continues to sell relatively well in Norway. It is expected that the Tesla Model S, a full-size luxury sedan, will also sell well in Norway from 2013.
Electric Cars Sales in Norway in 2012 (Q3)
The Norwegian car market is relatively small, with around 130,000 new passenger vehicle registrations each year. However, in terms of electric cars, the Norwegian market easily outperformed the much larger Swedish and German markets in absolute – and not only relative – terms.
It seems Norway may be the first European country where electric vehicles are bought in significant numbers by private consumers and not only governments and car-share schemes. In addition to the lower environmental impact, private consumers can enjoy tax schemes as well as the fact that electric cars in Norway may use dedicated bus lanes. Electric cars become attractive for city dwellers or as a second car for many families.
